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Pickett, who, being reinforced from Richmond, was advancing with a considerable body of troops from Kinston. The Union outposts at Bachelor's Creek, eight miles from Newbern, were driven in and retired to Newbern. The gun hoat Underwriter was captured and destroyed by the rebels. Palmer held his position firmly, and the assailants retired to Kinston. The defences of Newbern were strengthened and rendered too powerful for any attack which the rebels were likely to undertake.

rebels at Libby Prison, Castle Thunder, and Belle Isle, roused the strongest sympathy in their behalf, and an expe dition was planned, for the purpose not only of making a raid upon Richmond, but also of setting at liberty our brave countrymen who were being killed by inches by the rebels. The expedition, consisting of over 4,000 men, with a light battery of six guns, was placed under command of a distinguished young cavalry officer, Gen. H. J. Kilpatrick; and on the evening of the 28th of February, left camp at Stevensburg, crossed Ely's Ford on the Rapidan, and captured the rebel pickets without firing a gun or exciting any alarm. At daylight the next morning, the column passed through Spotsylvania Court House, twenty miles in the rear of Lee's army, and dashed on towards Beaver Dam Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad. This was

1864.

It was at this time that the expedition spoken of above, was set on foot by Butler. While a movement of a portion of the Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan diverted Lee's attention in that quarter, Gen. Wistar, with a body of cavalry and mounted infantry, left New Kent Court House on the 5th of February, and marched rapidly to Bottom's Bridge on the Chickahominy, with the expectation of making a sud-reached at four P.M., and not only the den dash into Richmond. The authorities, however, had taken the alarm, and interposed such obstacles of fallen timber at the bridge that the opportunity of a surprise was lost, and Wistar was compelled to relinquish his object and retire. Nothing was accomplished beyond exciting a panic at Richmond, the city being thrown into great excitement when news of the advance arrived.*

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buildings at the station were destroyed, but the track was torn up for miles, the telegraph line was cut, culverts and bridges were burned, etc. Thence, having crossed the South Anna during the night, Kilpatrick and his brave troopers pushed on actively toward Richmond, and that same morning, Tuesday, March 1st, crossed the Brook turnpike, three and a half miles from Jeff. Davis's capital, carried the first line of works, and before noon opened with shot and shell upon the panic

afterwards addressed an account of his imprisonment and that of his fellow-sufferers at Richmond to the military committee of the House of Representatives at Washington, exhibiting the cruelties and barbarities inflicted by the rebel authorities.

CH. VII.]

DAHLGREN'S EXPEDITION AND DEATH.

stricken city. The firing was kept up on both sides for several hours, without material result, and late in the afternoon, amid a storm of sleet and hail, Kilpatrick encamped at a point six miles from Richmond and two from the Chickahominy. It was his intention to make another vigorous effort to relieve the suffering prisoners, by effecting an entrance into the city; but during the night an artillery attack was made by the rebels upon his camp, and he felt compelled reluctantly to turn away from Richmond and take up his line of march down the Peninsula towards Williamsburg. The rebels followed and annoyed our troops to some extent; but no battle was fought; on the 3d March, Kilpatrick arrived at Williamsburg, and soon after returned to the Army of the Potomac by way of Fortress Monroe.*

Col. Ulric Dahlgren, accompanied by Major Cook, had been detached with 500 chosen men, after crossing the Rapidan, for a special purpose. Having left the main column, he advanced rapidly to Frederick's Hall, on the Virginia Central Railroad, tore up the road, destroyed the telegraph line and captured some prisoners. He next struck the James River Canal, eight miles east of Goochland Court House, and between there and Wer tham Creek an immense amount of property was destroyed. It was at this point that Dahlgren discovered that his guide had deceived him, so as to thwart the principal object of the

1864.

* For an interesting account of this expedition, sec

Surgeon Moore's "Kilpatrick and our Cavalry,” pp. 137-156

407

expedition, and he was immediately hanged to the nearest tree. The com mand then struck the Plank Road and moved on to Richmond from a westerly direction, and when within three miles of that city, had a lively skirmish with some rebel infantry. Finding the force too large to operate against with any prospect of success, and not knowing the whereabouts or fate of the main column, Dahlgren decided to fall back. He and Major Cook, with about 100 men, went a different route from the main portion of the column, commanded by Capt. Mitchell, who rejoined Kilpatrick on the 2d of March. Dahlgren, while making his way along the Mattapony, on Wednesday evening, toward West Point, and when about three miles from King and Queen Court House, was surrounded by a party of Virginia cavalry, aided by armed citi zens and others. In a state of despera tion, he ordered a charge, determined, if possible, to cut his way through; but he fell in the onset, and his men were partly cut to pieces and the remainder captured. The body of Col. Dahlgren was treated with great indig. nity by the rebels, and it was asserted by them that certain orders and papers were found on his person, directing that Jeff. Davis and his cabinet be killed and Richmond consigned to the flames. The newspapers endeavored to make capital out of all this, and to seek to stir up sympathy abroad in behalf.of the tottering and worthless "Confederacy;" but the authenticity of the papers remains to be proved, and they who knew Dahlgren well, and had seen his instructions to his men,

1864.

denounced them as base forgeries.* tion for the attack by citizens, claiming
to be non-combatants, upon Col. Dahl-
gren, Butler, a few days after, sent a
cavalry force, under Col. Onder-
donk and Col. Spear, to King
and Queen Court House, where was a
camp of the enemy, which was destroy.
ed and a number killed. A large quan-
tity of grain, and several mills and

The results of the expedition, although
not what was hoped for, were substan-
tially as follows: the breaking up of
several miles of railroad of great im-
portance to the rebels, the destroying
of several million dollars' worth of
stores, and the capturing between 300
and 400 prisoners.
As a kind of well-deserved retalia- store-houses were burnt.

* For the papers referred to above, see Appleton's "American Annual Cyclopædia" for 1864, pp. 66, 67. Pollard gives an account of what he calls Dahlgren's raid around Richmond, and is perfectly furious in the language he uses. "Savage and atrocious," "brazen lies, audacious recrimination, and the stereotypes of

Yankee hypocrisy," "ludicrous cowardice," and the like, form a part of his stock-in-trade. He is ready to swear to the authenticity of the papers, which "show

the fiendish purpose of Dahlgren's expectation, and revealed to the startled sensibilities of the people of Richmond the horrors which they had narrowly escap

ed." They who place any value upon Pollard's oath in the present case, respecting the "Yankee plot of incendiarism and murder, challenging comparison with

the atrocities of the darkest ages," may consult this

fire-eating writer's "Third Year of the War," pp.

238-245.

These operations, of which we have given an account in the present chapter, were of no great moment, and on the whole, being more favorable to the rebels than usual, afforded them oppor tunity of self-laudation and boasting to a considerable extent. The main cur rent of the war, however, was very slightly affected by what had taken place, and it became evident to the careful observer, that other and far weightier trials of strength must be had, before results of any decisive character could be attained.

CH. VIII.]

GEN. BANKS'S MOVEMENT.

409

CHAPTER VIII.

1864.

DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF: FORREST'S RAID AND FORT PILLOW MASSACRE.

Measures taken to organize a state government for Louisiana - Proclamation of Gen. Banks - Election of governor, etc. -Joint military and naval operations in Western Louisiana - Porter and the gun boats Gen. A. J. Smith and his force-Fort De Russy taken - Alexandria occupied - Natchitoches taken Advance upon Shreveport- Battle at Pleasant Hill - The rebels at Sabine Cross Roads -Our forces badly repulsed-Banks falls back The struggle the next day - Retreat ordered to Alexandria - Gen. Steele and campaign in Arkansas - Porter and the gun boats at the falls of Alexandria -- Successful engineering-Banks returns to New Orleans - Forrest and his raiders Union City surrendered by Hawkins-Paducah attacked - Rebels driven off-Forrest's assault on Fort Pillow - Condition of the fort and garrison - Narrative of the assault-Shocking murders — Quotation from report of investigating committee sent by Congress - Infamous conduct of the rebels -- Plymouth, North Carolina, captured by Hoke and his men - Washington evacuated― Ram Albemarle attacked by our gun boats --The result.

GEN. BANKS, who was in command of the department of the Gulf, gave earnest attention, at the beginning of the year, to the movement which contemplated the formation of a state gov

1864.

ernment for Louisiana. On the 8th of January, a Free State Convention was held at New Orleans, which both endorsed the course of the president, and urged the immediate adoption of measures for restoring the state to its old place in the Union. Banks thereupon, on the 11th of January, issued a proclamation, providing for the election, on the 22d of February, of a governor and other state officers, who were to "constitute the civil government of the state, under the Constitution and laws of Louisiana, except so much of the said Constitution and laws as recognize, regulate, or relate to slavery, which being inconsistent with the present condition of public affairs, and plainly inapplicable to any class of persons now existing within its limits,

VOL. IV.-52.

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must be suspended, and they are hereby declared to be inoperative and void." The oath of allegiance required by President Lincoln's proclamation, with the condition affixed to the elective franchise by the constitution of Louisiana, were prescribed as the qualifications of voters. The officers elected were to be installed on the 4th of March; and another election was appointed for delegates to a convention to revise the constitution of the state, on the first Monday in April.

On the 3d of February, Banks is sued an important order relative to the enforcement and compensation of negro labor on the plantations. The matter was placed under the direction of the provost-marshals in the several par ishes; hours of labor were prescribed, just and equitable treatment required; flogging and cruel punishments interdicted, etc. A passage or two towards the close of this order may here be quoted: "It is a solemn duty resting upon

all persons to assist in the earliest pos- stitution was prepared, by a clause of sible restoration of civil government. which slavery was forever abolished in Let them participate in the measures the state; the convention adjourned in suggested for this purpose. Opinion July; and the constitution was adoptis free, and candidates are numerous. ed by the people on the 5th of SeptemOpen hostility cannot be permitted. ber, by a vote of 6,836 to 1,566. Four Indifference will be treated as crime, persons as members of Congress and a and faction as treason. The legislature were chosen at the same oath of allegiance, administered and re- time, who were mostly in favor of a free ceived in good faith, is the test of un- state. The authority, however, of the conditional fealty to the government re-organized state was very limited; and and all its measures, and cannot be ma- President Lincoln was censured by poterially strengthened or impaired by litical opponents, on the charge of unthe language in which it is clothed. justifiable interference with the affairs The amnesty offered for the past is con- of the people of Louisiana.* ditioned upon an unreserved loyalty for the future, and this condition will be enforced with an iron hand. Whoever is indifferent or hostile must choose between the liberty which foreign lands afford, the poverty of the rebel states, and the innumerable and inappreciable blessings which our government confers upon its people. May God preserve the Union of the States!"

The election for state officers was held on the 22d of February; over 10,000 votes were cast within those parishes guarded by our troops; and the Hon. Michael Hahn was elected governor on the free state ticket. The inauguration took place on the 4th of March, in New Orleans, amid imposing ceremonies and public rejoicing. Gov. Hahn was also invested, on the 15th of March, by President Lincoln, with the powers exercised hitherto by the military governor of Louisiana. We may also mention, in this connection, that nearly 100 delegates having been elected, the convention met in New Or. leans, on the 6th of April; a new con

Early in the year, a joint military and naval expedition was planned, in order, by a vigorous effort, to open Western Louisiana to trade, and to sweep away all rebel opposition in that part of the state, and if possible in Texas likewise. All the available force of the army and navy in this department was put in requisition, and the purpose was to move up the Red River as far as Shreveport, where the rebels had concentrated large supplies, and where it was intended Gen. Steele should unite with the expedition with all the forces he could collect in Arkansas. In the beginning of March, during which and the following month the Red River had sufficient wa ter to float the largest class of vessels, the troops advanced from New Orleans through the Teche country to Alexandria. Meanwhile, Admiral Porter had

* Mr. Raymond, in his " Life of Abraham Lincoln,"

p. 490, repels this charge as unfounded.

Gen. Grant, who had assumed the position of commander-in-chief of all the armies of the United States, subsequent to the organization of this Red River ex

pedition, sent Banks various instructions, etc., hoping

that he might be successful, and might be a le speeli y

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